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Monday, June 14, 2010

Book Review: Life in Defiance

Who did it? Who killed Daisy Chance?

If you read my earlier review of Mary DeMuth’s A Slow Burn, you know that I have really enjoyed this trilogy. Not because it presents life in an unrealistic way. Not because it ties everything up with a bow. Quite the opposite.

This series can be tough to read. The characters are so real you feel like you could reach out and touch them. The tragedy so thick you feel like you’re wading through the sorrow until the end.

But isn’t that life sometimes? Life can be tragic, and the people we know suffer. And that’s what I appreciate about Mary’s writing—she’s not afraid to tackle the yucky stuff of life. And yet, through the tragedy and through the suffering, Mary points us clearly to hope.

Yes, you’ll find out in this final book who did it. You’ll find out the name of Daisy’s killer. But, in a way, that’s all secondary because the characters who really matter, the ones we really care about, find their way. They find hope. They find courage. They find redemption.

If you haven’t read Daisy Chain or A Slow Burn first, this book probably won’t make a whole lot of sense to you, so get the first two and read them in order. But make sure you finish up with Life in Defiance because here is where you’ll find the ultimate conclusion.

I just read a book that "tied everything up in a bow" before the ending. I used the same reference when thinking about it. It was good but I think I like real life better because it is real. These sound like books I would love.